St Rocco’s Hospice opened its doors to the first patient on 7th May 1985 and was officially opened in September 1985 by Her Grace, the Duchess of Norfolk. The aim was to provide specialist palliative care to the people of Warrington after a vision from a local GP, Dr Michael Thomas, who realised that Warrington and Halton needed a hospice.
We spoke to Roger Morey, who became the first volunteer handyman in 1985, later becoming a Trustee in 1991.
“By 1992, St. Rocco’s Trustees had decided that a new, purpose-built building was required, and I became the de-facto Project Manager.”
The quest to build what is now St. Rocco’s Hospice was a huge feat but the people of Warrington joined together to raise the funds required.
However, there were some challenges along the way, when unfortunately an application for £500,000 National Lottery funding was unsuccessful.
It was decided to scale down the original plans to ensure that the hospice construction could begin and new plans included nine single bedrooms, one family bedroom and a day centre which could accommodate 15 people.
Today, St. Rocco’s Hospice still has 10 bedrooms with the Vitality Centre offering different sessions such as hosting a support group for carers, relaxation and complementary therapy amongst other services.
The new hospice building on Lockton Lane was completed in 1998 with the first three patients being welcomed in January 1999.
St. Rocco’s Hospice has a team of 129 dedicated and passionate staff including 25 nurses and 10 healthcare assistants along with 580 registered volunteers. Many of the staff and volunteers have been personally touched by the hospice from having experienced first-hand the incredible and compassionate care shown to a loved one over the last 40 years.
Throughout its history, the generosity of the Warrington community has meant that St. Rocco’s has thrived and been able to care for thousands upon thousands of people. Today, this support is still as vital as ever, as the hospice relies on community donations, gifts in wills, sponsorship and engagement for 80% of its costs. With the rising costs of providing care, they are hoping that more and more people will embrace St. Rocco’s as their chosen charity to champion.
As the 40th anniversary celebrations are in full swing, there are a number of ways you can easily join in and help contribute to its fundraising efforts. You can enter their Ruby Raffle, with a huge cash prize of £4,040 for the winner along with stacks of runner up prizes. Tickets can be purchased at the hospice or any of their shops across Warrington.
In addition to the Ruby Raffle, they have a range of exciting events and campaigns lined up throughout the year. From special fundraising challenges to community events, there is something for everyone and it would be great to see as many people as possible get involved. These events will not only celebrate 40 years of St. Rocco’s, they will also help the charity to continue to provide compassionate care to patients and those important to them within the Warrington community for many years to come. For more information or to get involved, visit Helping us | St Roccos Hospice or email fundraising@stroccos.org.uk.
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